cascata's Profile

Thanks for everyone's suggestions. I am the person who requested your thoughts.

For the record, it was definitely NOT a weight issue. I'm 5'6 and weighed 120-122 before this diet. Now I'm at 115 and honestly, am a bit thinner than I'd like to be. This may sound obnoxious, but it's meant in all honesty. I lose weight with stress or anxiety but am blessed with a great metabolism. I'm over 40, so this is clearly genetic. I do exercise but not nearly as much as one might think.

I'm from NY, come from an ethnic background and am a HUGE foodie. But several people's counts, I was consuming about 3,500 calories a day so you can imagine that I basically ate whatever I wanted. I can tell you that I didn't drink soda, don't eat things like chips and junk food, NEVER eat fast food (ok, In and Out Burger 3x a year), and never used artificial sweeteners. I did eat a ton of bread, cheese, pasta, potatoes... big filling food. I do have a sweet tooth and did have dessert everyday, twice a day and consumed about a pint or two of Haagen Dazs each week. I know, it's hard to imagine that I didn't gain weight, and I wasn't exercising everyday. I ate everything from meat to chicken to fish (though I don't like cooking fish -- I'd eat it if I went out) and while I ate veggies and salads, they were a small part of my regular diet. I know I must embrace them now, but they do not satiate me the way my mac and cheese did... or the way my meat lasagnas did.. and I ate a whole lot of that.

I always loved eggs so I still eat them -- only now I make 4 at a time and throw them over rice so that I can keep some calories going. But I am a little sick of eating eggs every morning. I used to have 2 breakfasts a day -- eggs and then something like waffles. Now, I am trying to deal with yogurt and granola. It's o-kay, but not the same for me. I'm all about delicious food and I'm not satiated.

My doctor found I had issues with yeast (rye bread was an easy substitute -- no sugar and acceptable apparently on the yeast scale) -- then told me I was having digestive issues (yes, I love beans and overloaded on them to substitute for that 'substantial' food feeling). I now have to pull back. I can't do too much dairy either. So I try and do the yogurts every other day (I use Fage 2% which is Greek plain yogurt with less sugar than most) and 100% sugar free granola.

I went to a nutritionist to help but that was marginally helpful. She told me to 'moderate' and I am already --- but I can't find foods that I really love.

Do you have cookbooks you swear by? Are there recipes for veggies that are easy and delicious (I work 12 hour days and love cooking but these days don't have much time). I honestly do not like having salad at lunch. I do it, but don't like it. If I throw veggies on it, I am still unsatiated from a flavor perspective.

I cannot stomach soy. Period. So it's not an option.

And after all this, I am also to be 'watchful' of too much wheat.

So, this may sound ridiculous to you, but food was one of the big loves of my life. People came to me to find out where to eat, what to eat, etc. Now I am left paralyzed because I actually have anxiety when it's time to eat. I know I won't really LOVE anything. I make sure I go out once a week and just eat something great, so that I have one day a week I can have great tasting food.

But if I want my body healthy, I have to try to figure out how to do this in a more mindful manner. Recipes help. Cookbooks help. Any advice to this end helps.

Thanks to everyone who has already contributed.